Saturday, January 28, 2017

In 1929...gossip columnist Walter Winchell first appeared on radio. But it would be more than a year before he got his own show on local New York radio, which led to national success.In 1937...The CBS Radio Network debuted "Aunt Jenny’s Real Life Stories".

In 1942...BBC Radio launches a new program called Desert Island Discs . Still on the air today, it's the second-longest-running radio program in existence, next to the Grand Ole Opry.

In 1945...Lionel Barrymore took over the host duties temporarily on the “Lux Radio Theatre” on CBS radio. This after longtime host Cecil B. DeMille refused to join the radio performers union.

In 1951...Major League Baseball signed a 6 year agreement for TV-radio rights at $6 million.

In 1956...the show "Indictment" was first broadcast on the CBS Radio Network. It aired for 3 years.

In 1964,...the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles. This first American release by the Beatles was one of the biggest selling British singles of all time with worldwide sales of 15 million copies.

In 1980...a true entertainer who conquered vaudeville, radio & TV Jimmy Durante, who was confined to a wheelchair following a 1972 stroke, died of pneumonia at age 86.

In 2000...Longtime Detroit radio personality (WQBH, WJLB, WCHB) Martha Jean "The Queen'' Steinberg died at the age of 69.

Martha Jean Steinberg

Her first radio job was on Memphis’ WDIA starting in 1954. There, she was one of the first female disc jockeys in the United States, with a program that included the latest R&B hits along with the typical "household hints" programming that was de rigueur at the time for female radio personalities.

In 1963 she moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she was heard on WCHB-AM and then throughout the late 1960s and 1970s on WJLB. On July 23, 1967 Steinberg convinced WJLB to cancel its normal evening programming and she did an on air program calling for people to calm down and stop rioting. It has been suggested that this prevented the 1967 Detroit Riot from being worse than it was.

During her time at WJLB, she led the station's on-air staff in protest of the fact that the station at the time had no African-American employees outside of the air staff.

In 1980, WJLB converted from AM to the FM dial (where it remains to this day), and Steinberg's show was dropped in the process. The former WJLB-AM became WMZK with an ethnic format. In 1982, Steinberg purchased WMZK-AM and changed the call letters to WQBH in order to offer more gospel music oriented programming. Steinberg remained on the air at WQBH 1400 AM until her death. WQBH is now WDTK.

Cumulus Media has been working to restructure parts of its $2.4 billion debt load with a stock-for-debt swap, and has said bankruptcy is an option if bondholders don’t go along. according to ajc.com.

In December, Cumulus offered to swap up to 14.6 million shares of its stock for $610 million of its debt. The deadline for the stock-for-debt offer is March 13. The deal amounts to pennies on the dollar, since Cumulus’ shares are trading around $1 lately.

If the exchange doesn’t work, Cumulus warned in a Dec. 27 filing, “we may be required to seek protection from our creditors through a bankruptcy filing. If so, the expenses of any such filing would reduce the assets available for payment or distribution to our creditors and, if applicable, stockholders.”

Wednesday, for the second time, Cumulus extended an “early tender” deadline, which offers a cash premium for investors who agree by the early deadline to swap their debt for stock. The deadline has now been pushed back to Feb. 13, from Dec. 23 originally.

In late December, Cumulus also said it paid off a portion off $28.7 million of debt at a 30 percent discount. The retired debt was a small portion of its $1.8 billion in debt secured by the company’s assets.

Meanwhile Cumulus shares have continued to languish. The company’s stock price has declined more than 98 percent since mid-2014. Cumulus stock closed just under $1 a share Friday afternoon, down more than 5 percent.

Kelly, who exited Fox News earlier this month, will join NBC in May. And her new morning show will premiere this fall, according to USAToday.

Undecided, as yet: Whether Kelly will air at 9 a.m. ET/PT — bridging the gap between the first two hours of Today and the lighter fourth hour featuring Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford — or at 10 a.m., in which case Kotb and Gifford's giggle-fest would move an hour earlier. The current 9 a.m. hour, fronted by Al Roker and Tamron Hall, will disappear by fall in either event, though both are expected to remain at the network.

NBC News is not commenting -- apparently the 9 versus 10 a.m. decision hasn't been made -- but the current 9 a.m. show is definitely going away, and 9 a.m. hour staffers found out on Friday.

Kelly's contract at Fox was due to expire this year, and she implicated former Fox News chief Roger Ailes in a sexual harassment scandal. It's unclear how many Fox viewers will follow her to her new home, but her new show will likely seem familiar to her fans. "What I'm hearing is she's doing a daytime version of what she did at Fox," adapted for a morning format, with lifestyle and entertainment stories blended with newsmaker interviews, says Bill Carroll, analyst at Katz Television Group, who advises local stations on programming.

Carroll says that while Kelly would face less competition at 10, "it would be to her advantage to be at 9," where Today's lead-in and promotional ability would provide a seamless transition."She'd be better off as an extension of something that's working than another island."

Meanwhile, the rumors continue to swirl that Kelly is being groomed to take over Savannah Guthrie’s anchor spot on the flagship show. PageSix at the NY Post reports “Savannah is upset. She’s not convinced that Megyn doesn’t want her job. She was told about them hiring her 30 minutes before they made the announcement.”

But NBC said earlier this month, “We just signed Savannah to a massive deal that is longer than Megyn’s. A lead anchor role at ‘Today’ isn’t part of the conversation for Megyn.”

Michael Crute, co-host of a syndicated show called Devil’s Advocates Radio, says on a podcast produced by the liberal group Citizen Action of Wisconsin that he’d bought the Waukesha-based WRRD 1510 AM. The 25,000-watt daytime only station will flip to Talk on February 1. The station currently broadcasts ESPN Deportes format.

A news release from Citizen Action said of the deal, “Crute and current licensee, Good Karma Brands, have agreed to terms of sale, with an operating agreement permitting the immediate format change while application for licensing transfer is processed by the FCC,” according to Milwaukee Magazine.

Devil’s Advocates Radio most recently aired on Progressive WXXM 92.1 FM The Mic in Madison that dropped that format in November.

Since The Mic dropped its news-talk format, Crute and his partner, Dominic Salvia, have been producing their show in syndication, serving 16 markets around the country, Crute said on the Citizen Action podcast.

WRRD 1510 AM (23 Kw-Daytimer)

The Citizen Action release describes the new format thus: “The Bill Press Show, the Stephanie Miller Show, the Thom Hartman Show, and Free Talk Live will join the Devil’s Advocates in providing a live daily weekday line-up between 6 am and 9 pm CT. Westwood One will provide National news, daily features like Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and weekend national programming like Meet The Press. WRRD 1510 AM will welcome Milwaukee’s own Earl Ingram Show back to the Wisconsin airwaves Saturdays 12-3 p.m.”

It will also include an hour of the Devil’s Advocates Radio show, broadcast from 2 to 3 p.m. and then again in drive time, from 5 to 6 p.m., Crute said in the podcast.

Terri Williams, organizer of Radio-Active, said in an email Friday, “The launch of 1510 AM provides progressives with a tremendous opportunity to change the conversation in southeastern Wisconsin.”

“This is not simply a business deal, my mission is to offer Milwaukee and Wisconsin a new voice and change our political dialogue,” Crute said in a press release Friday. “Our state and our nation need more fact-based political conversations, more speaking truth to power, more inclusive voices, and less partisan rhetoric.”

In 1934...Walter Winchell, in his newspaper column, paid compliments to a local disc jockey in Washington DC.

As a result, 30-year-old Arthur Godfrey began receiving offers from talent scouts and producers, and eventually was adored by millions across the country on CBS radio and TV.

His trademark (strumming a ukulele and delivering down-home patter) endeared him to fans for the next 30 years.

Gary Moore

In 1940...The musical quiz show "Beat the Band" began a 4½-year run on NBC Radio Network in two distinctly different series.

The first, which aired until 1941, was hosted by Gary Moore and featured the Ted Weems Orchestra with vocalist Perry Como.
The second version was hosted by Hildegarde, then Eddie Mayehoff, and the Harry Sosnik band supplied the music.

In 1956...Elvis Presley made his first appearance on national television on “The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show” on CBS. He sang “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Heartbreak Hotel”. After the appearance, sales of “Heartbreak Hotel” skyrocketed; however the national Elvis furor did not erupt until his subsequent appearances on the Milton Berle and Steve Allen TV shows.

In 1959...Randi Rhodes, Radio personality was born

In 1977...Actor (Cat Ballou, The Killers, The Thrill of It All, Mame, The Strongest Man in the World, Herbie Rides Again, The Shakiest Gun in the West, Speedway, Tiger by the Tail, The Reluctant Astronaut, The Great Bank Robbery)/onetime radio host (KDKA-Pittsburgh in 1921) Burt Mustin died at the age of 92.

In 1985...At the A&M studio in Los Angeles, the last recording session was held for the charity single "We Are The World" by the supergroup USA for Africa. Many of the participants, including Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen and Smokey Robinson, came straight from an American Music Awards ceremony held that same night. Altogether more than 45 artists were involved in the project. The proceeds went first to starving residents of Ethiopia and eventually toward hunger prevention worldwide.

In 1986...the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members on board: flight commander Francis Scobee; pilot Michael Smith; Ronald McNair; Ellison Onizuka; Judith Resnik; Gregory Jarvis; and schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, who was to have been the first civilian in space. The cause was found to be failure of a booster rocket seal due to the cold weather, causing a leak of fuel that was ignited.

In 2000…Saxophonist/bandleader Thomas "Beans" Bowles died of prostate cancer at the age of 73. He played on numerous Motown sessions including the Supremes' "Baby Love," Martha & The Vandellas' "Heat Wave" and Marvin Gaye's, "What's Going On." He also wrote the melody for Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips Pt. 2."

In 2003...Stan Martin, a New York City radio personality, died at age 64. He worked at WQEW-FM and WNEW-AM, among other stations. He also hosted a nationally syndicated show, "Solid Gold Country".

Stan Martin

Martin joined the station in 1992 as program director when The Times changed the station's format from classical music and its name from WQXR-AM to WQEW. He eventually became the station manager.

He left in 1998, when The Times leased the station to ABC, for Radio Disney.

His radio career began in 1959 at WDLC in Port Jervis, N.Y. He then worked for several other stations, including WPIX-AM, WHN-AM and WFAN-AM in New York and WPEN-AM in Philadelphia.

After leaving WQEW, Martin was master of ceremonies for cabaret shows in Manhattan and host of a website.

Friday, January 27, 2017

CBS Radio/Chicago has announced that Todd Cavanah, longtime program director of Top40 WBBM 96.3 FM, will also add day-to-day programming for Country WUSN 99.5 FM to his plate.

The US99 position has been vacant since last December when Jeff Kapugi was forced out after five years as program director. The move was first reported by Chicago Media writer Robert Feder.

Cavanah will continue in his corporate role and oversee six other CBS Radio Chicago startions.

“Todd is the best in the business and I’m thrilled to have his talent and insight focused on one of our premiere brands,” Tim Pohlman, senior vice president and market manager of CBS Radio Chicago, said in a statement.

“His creativity and excitement for the format will ensure that US99 continues to be Chicago’s country leader for years to come.”

US99 has been under the gun since iHeartMedia launched a country format on WEBG 95.5 FM in 2015.

CBS Radio/Chicago also confirmed Friday that it will seek to hire a new program director for adult album alternative WXRT 93.1 FM and classic hits WJMK FM 104.3. Norm Winer, who resigned in early 2016, was the last program director of WXRT.

WUSN 99.5 FM (5.7 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Cavanah, a 30-year programming veteran who began as a part-time weekend host on B96 in 1989, has been program director of B96 since 1993 and has doubled as program director of K-Hits since 2011.

Coinciding with the programming moves this week, CBS Radio Chicago also realigned its sales ranks with the departure of Terry Hardin as general sales manager of B96 and the shift of Paul Agase from director of music sales to Hardin’s former job.

WMGC 105.1 FM The Bounce, Detroit’s Throwback Hip Hop and R & B, has begun rolling out our on air talent, mixing long time area radio favorites with a couple of new names who have moved to our city.

The Bounce welcomes two new Bounce “Ambassadors” to our growing team of anchors and DJs. The Bounce is proud to introduce:

Shay Shay: “Shay Shay”, a native of Detroit, will be helping listeners get ready for work or school every Monday through Friday from 6am to 10am. Shay Shay’s had a stellar career right here in her hometown, having been a fixture on many local stations, as well as hosting shows in Miami, Portland and Pittsburgh. When she leaves the studio, Shay Shay enjoys teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Wayne State University. Formerly known as “Shay Shay in the Midday”, she is excited to transition to “wake up duties” in Detroit, where the Bounce features an exclusive 105 minute continuous music block starting just after 7:00 each weekday, giving her the perfect setting to keep the Motor City “Bouncing” while they commute.

DJ Ryan Richards: “DJ Ryan Richards” is another famous Detroiter joining the Bounce family. Getting an earlier start than most, he decided that he belonged behind the turntables to entertain crowds in the 6th grade. Many also remember “Bouncing” with him while he was at Waterford Mott High School. From there, DJ Ryan Richards has become an icon in the city, providing the soundtrack for such major events as Movement (Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival), Arts Beats & Eats, the North American International Auto Show and he serves as the special event DJ for our Detroit Tigers. DJ Ryan Richards will start in a starring role as “Mr. Throwback” at the top of many hours every weekend.

“We’re assembling an all-star team FOR DETROIT on 105.1! I am so excited to add Shay Shay and DJ Ryan Richards to our line-up! Legendary personalities like them perfectly match the legendary Throwback Hip Hop and R & B our fans crave,” said 105.1 The Bounce Program Director Al Payne.

WMGC 105.1 FM (50 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

This Second Set of Bounce Ambassadors may include some very familiar names to many of our area listeners. You can listen to your favorites at the following times on WMGC 105.1:

The latest Best Places to Work in Government® reports on the quality of life for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) employees and suggests that new FCC Chairman Ajit Pai can make an improvement.

According to Forbes, the 2016 report, produced by the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte since 2003, surveys 421,000 civil servants from 379 federal organizations on a wide range of workplace topics. Agencies are grouped by their budget and headcount and then ranked according to overall employee engagement.

Overall the FCC is ranked 20 out of 27 for similar mid-sized agencies, with less than average scores for all indicators. FCC staff report increasing dissatisfaction with the agency’s leadership since 2013 when Chairman Wheeler took office. Pai has an opportunity to reverse the dismal and declining scores for empowerment, fairness, supervision, innovation, and strategic management.

The FCC’s worst score is for Employee Skill–Mission Match which measures the extent to which employees feel that their skills and talents are used effectively. With some 600 lawyers and only 50 or so economists, the FCC today is not equipped to conduct even basic economic regulation. After some 20 years of making reports on the mobile wireless market, the FCC can’t conclude whether the market is effectively competitive.

Byzantine federal hiring rules which impose job posting requirements for technical staff but not attorneys are partly to blame. Plus the FCC is not a place where the input of economists is welcome, leading one former chief economist to call it an "economics-free zone". The situation is similar for engineers, who lack the facilities and fraternity necessary for intellectual inquiry. Staff's assessment is also demonstrated in the report’s measure of Strategic Management in which the FCC ranks next to last among similar agencies.

During a panel discussion on CNN today, chief political analyst Gloria Borger highlighted that the press is not supposed to act like state-run media.

Mediaite reports the observation from Borger was in response to comments made by White House chief strategist Steve Bannon during an interview with the New York Times. The ex-Brietbart chief took aim at the mainstream media, calling it an “opposition party” to the Trump Administration” and telling the press to “keep its mouth shut.”

Discussing the remarks from Bannon, CNN analyst Phil Mudd stated that they were “comical” but also explaining that as a former CIA officer, it makes him “uncomfortable.” CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson added that “democracies in Europe are in shock” at the level of antagonism towards the press.

Borger then weighed in, stating that it is “harsh” and that “it is our job” to cover and report.

“I think the role is not to be a rubber stamp,” she stated. “We’re not supposed to be state television here. We’re supposed to ask the hard questions and I think we ought to keep doing that.”

BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith joined Fox News’ Tucker Carlson to further defend why his site published the unverified Russian dossier about Donald Trump, leading the “Tucker Carlson Tonight” host to say, “You just don’t like Trump.”

According to The Wrap, Carlson started the interview by asking if it would be OK for him to, hypothetically, release unverified details of a hypothetical sex crime committed by Smith, saying, “Of course I would never publish that because it would be unfair. How is this different?”

Smith points out that the dossier was already circulating around the media elite and government officials and felt CNN reporting that the document existed led him to want to show the public “the thing that is being referred to.” Smith went on to compare what BuzzFeed did to Matt Drudge’s decision to break the Monica Lewinsky scandal back in the 1990s.

“Here is what bothers me about your explanation. I think you make some smart points,” Carlson said. “I’m for openness. I’m for transparency. But by setting yourself up as a champion of press freedom, you’re being slightly disingenuous because there is a political component here.”

Carlson said that BuzzFeed News has a political agenda “masquerading as journalism,” and accused Smith of “hiding” behind journalism standards when they’re actual political imperatives.

While advertising still accounts for the lion's share of Google's revenue, rising 17.4 percent to $22.4 billion in the quarter, Alphabet Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat underscored that the company is broadening its business - pointing to growth in hardware, app sales and the cloud business.

The company's other revenue, which captures such businesses, climbed 62 percent to $3.4 billion.

"We see tremendous potential ahead for these businesses, as well as in the continued development of non-advertising revenue streams for YouTube," Porat said on a call with investors.

The results were met with a mixed reaction from Wall Street, which sent shares down 2.2 percent to $838 in extended trade after closing at $856.98 on Nasdaq. Google faced a higher tax rate of 22 percent, compared to 19 percent for the year overall, contributing to the dent in profitability.

"If you look above that, it’s business as usual," said analyst James Wang of ARK Investment Management. "There has been no margin compression in the actual business."

Executives suggested that they are beginning to reap the rewards of their investment in hardware. Porat spotlighted the company's line of Nest smart home products, saying sales doubled during the key holiday period including Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Google-branded hardware also showed promise as Google Home, a smart speaker, and the Pixel smartphone gained traction over the holidays, Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said during the call.

"We’re committed to this for the long term as a great way to bring a beautiful, seamless Google experience to people," he said.

The company posted a stronger-than-expected 22.2 percent increase in quarterly revenue as advertisers spent more to reach an expanding user base that spends more time on smartphones and YouTube.

Research firm eMarketer has estimated that Google will capture $60.92 billion in search ad revenue this year, or 58.8 percent of the search ad market worldwide.

Paid clicks, or clicks on Google ads, rose 36 percent, compared with a 33 percent increase in the third quarter. Paid clicks are those ads on which an advertiser pays only if a user clicks on them.

Analysts on average had expected a rise of 26.9 percent, according to FactSet StreetAccount.

Cost-per-click dropped 9 percent, a slide that has continued as Google sells more mobile ads, which command lower prices. However, the shift is not necessarily alarming as it suggests Google is selling more ads on YouTube, which are seen as a key growth driver, Rice said.

Alphabet's Other Bets revenue increased to $262 million from $150 million a year earlier, while the operating loss of $1.09 billion narrowed from $1.21 billion.

Other Bets includes broadband business Google Fiber, home automation products Nest, self-driving technology company Waymo as well as X, the company's research facility that works on "moon shot" ventures.

Verily Life Sciences, one such bet, announced Thursday that Singapore-based investment company Temasek had invested $800 million for a minority stake in the company. The investment reflects Alphabet's greater fiscal discipline under Porat and suggests a potential new model for the other bets, said analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research.

"Getting external investors involved helps spread that risk out and reduces Google’s exposure," he said. "It also allows some things to move faster than they would if it were just Google's cash backing them."

Alphabet's net income rose to $5.33 billion, or $7.56 per Class A and B share and Class C capital stock, in the fourth quarter, from $4.92 billion, or $7.06 per share, a year earlier. See graphic on earnings: (bit.ly/2kyl4fS)

Excluding items, the company earned $9.36 per share, below the average estimate of $9.64 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The company's consolidated revenue rose to $26.06 billion above the average estimate of $25.26 billion.

Cumulus Media has announced that talk radio host John Batchelor has signed a multi-year contract renewal, taking “The John Batchelor Show” to over 15 years on New York City’s WABC 770 AM.

The show airs weekdays from 9PM-1AM on flagship station 77 WABC and in markets across the U.S. through syndicator Westwood One. Batchelor’s podcasts are popular worldwide, with annual downloads in the millions.

On September 12, 2001, the day after the fall of the Twin Towers, 77 WABC recruited John Batchelor to go on the air until Osama bin Laden was either killed or captured. Batchelor has been on 77 WABC ever since, offering insightful commentary on such issues as the war on terrorism, the presidency, and the national and global economies.

“The John Batchelor Show” has since become appointment listening for incisive, thought-provoking discussion of the fight to preserve Western Civilization from military and political attacks by its enemies. Batchelor's themes cover every detail - from military battles, presidential campaigns, planetary exploration, and Hollywood politicos to his own international travel. John has broadcast from many corners of the world and in his program he calls out to all points, including New York, Jerusalem, Des Moines, Kazakhstan, Orlando, Manchester, Morocco, Boston, Taipei, Washington, and Baghdad.

Chad Lopez, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-New York, said: “The John Batchelor Show is a New York institution and the show has never sounded better.”

Craig Schwalb, 77 WABC Radio Program Director said: “John's show is instantly recognizable and insanely addictive. It is an honor to continue to work with him at WABC."

Batchelor said: "It's a joy and privilege to join again with WABC and Westwood One to carry on reporting to extremely well-informed listeners. I run as fast as I can to keep up on the radio and the podcast with all the can't-make-this-up news events rushing around the planet each day."

Mainstream Media has announced the promotion of Hayley Smith-Rose to Assistant Program Director of WHTP Hot 104.7 FM in Portland, Maine.

Smith-Rose is currently the Promotion Director as well as an on-air personality. She’ll continue in those roles and also firmly step into a position of leadership within the company working directly with Program Director Ryan Deelon, the sales team and station ownership to craft and shape the future direction of the station’s brand.

“Hayley is the rock of our organization. To say she’s my right hand is not giving her enough credit.

She’s essentially the right hand for everyone that works here. She’s risen to the occasion at every opportunity and has the complete respect and admiration of everyone on the team. This is just the start of what will be a bright future.” Said Program Director, Ryan Deelon.

WHTP 104.7 FM (6 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Smith-Rose added, “I am so excited to be able to tackle a larger role here at Hot 104.7. Coming to work every day is a pleasure and I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of our vision in a larger capacity. I have the utmost respect for our team and for local radio. I’m ecstatic to see what’s to come!”

Smith-Rose is a New England native, born and raised in Nashua, New Hampshire. She’s a graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington with a degree in Music Administration. Prior to working at WHTP she’s interned at WXKS in Boston, worked at WFMX in Augusta, ME and the Saga cluster of stations in Portland, ME.

Hot 104.7, now in its fifth year of operation is a mainstream Top40 station serving the area of Portland and Southern Maine. Hot 104.7 is locally owned and locally programmed in Maine. The station features a slogan of playing “The Most Commercial Free Music”.

Mainestream Media, LLC is a Maine based company and the owner of WHTP Hot 104.7. Mainestream believes in operating local radio at the local level and engaging with local listeners.

The Country Music Association has promoted Damon Whiteside to Chief Marketing Officer. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships.

As CMO, Whiteside’s new responsibilities will include oversight of the CMA Communications department, which will become more integrated with the overall strategic marketing teams. He will also continue to oversee CMA Marketing, which includes the Creative Services, Digital, Research, and Strategic Partnerships departments.

Reporting to Whiteside will be newly-created positions Vice President of Communications and Talent Relations and Vice President of Marketing Strategy. Whiteside will continue to report to CMA Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Trahern.

“Damon’s leadership in our marketing and partnership initiatives was key to the historic success of The 50th Annual CMA Awards,” said Trahern. “His efforts on behalf of the industry have enhanced CMA’s reputation for generating innovative marketing campaigns and creating partnerships. The experience and passion he brings to this expanded role will help us continue to build the CMA brand and grow country music around the world.”

“I am extremely proud and excited about this expanded role and opportunity to build on the huge accomplishments the dedicated team at CMA has been able to achieve these last three years thanks to the support and guidance of the CMA Board and Sarah Trahern,” stated Whiteside. “It is humbling to work every day in this amazing industry and city, and to be part of a revered organization like CMA and its historic landmark initiatives such as The 50th Annual CMA Awards and the ‘Forever Country’ project last year.”

In his first three years at CMA, Whiteside has been responsible for overseeing the development of marketing and media campaigns for CMA’s annual television properties and strengthening the partnership with CMA’s exclusive broadcast partner ABC Television Network and its parent, The Walt Disney Company. Additionally, Whiteside dedicated efforts to identify and build strategic partnerships with multi-platform media partners, digital companies, and Fortune 500 brands.

WAMU 88.5 FM and the Bluegrass Country Foundation have announced that they have reached an agreement to continue operation of Bluegrass Country on W288BS 105.5 FM, WAMU 88.5 FM HD 2 and streaming at bluegrasscountry.org.

Starting February 6, 2017, the Bluegrass Country Foundation will take over the responsibility for the operation and funding of the service. Listeners can expect the same mix of bluegrass, Americana, and roots music from their favorite hosts as well as new offerings in the near future. Under the agreement, the foundation will broadcast under WAMU’s FCC license.

“We all had the same desire which was to have the WAMU Bluegrass legacy continue,” said WAMU General Manager JJ Yore. “With a mutual goal in mind, we worked quickly and collaboratively so there would be no loss of service for our bluegrass community”.

Bluegrass debuted on WAMU in 1967 offering the community a nearly 50-year tradition of this uniquely American art form. But during the last 20 years, the demographics of WAMU’s listeners changed and WAMU management made the decision to focus the station’s financial resources and creative energy on news and information.

A search was conducted to find an organization that had the means to support the service and we are pleased to announce that the Bluegrass Country Foundation will take over the service on Monday, February 6th. The Foundation was established to seek financing to continue bluegrass, Americana and roots music in the tradition of WAMU’s Bluegrass Country.

Listeners will continue to enjoy programming from Gary Henderson who will host “Stained Glass Bluegrass”, Dick Spottswood, Lee Michael Demsey, Al Steiner, Lisa K. Howard and others. The new service will welcome back familiar past hosts and shows like Chris Teskey and e-Town while bidding farewell to Katy Daley, Rosemarie Nielsen, Jay Bruder and Bill Foster who plan to support bluegrass in other ways. With a few exceptions, the nearly 50 years of bluegrass programming heard on WAMU will be available for their use.

“We are proud to become the stewards of such an important resource and we look forward to bringing bluegrass and related roots music to a new generation of listeners,” said Jeff Ludin, president of the nonprofit Bluegrass Country Foundation. “We thank WAMU management for its support and creative thinking to help us achieve what few thought was possible.”

WAMU 88.5 is licensed to American University and began broadcasting in 1961. It is the leading public radio station for NPR news and information in the greater Washington, D.C., area. In addition to its flagship frequency, WAMU 88.5 operates WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, 88.3 Ocean City, 89.5 Fredericksburg, and the digital platforms Bandwidth.fm and wamu.org.

Sony Music on Thursday announced plans to revive Monument Records with top artist manager Jason Owen and hit-making songwriter and producer Shane McAnally serving as co-presidents.

According to The Tennessean, the label announced the signing of Nashville singer-songwriter Caitlin Smith and Walker Hayes as is its initial artists. Monument will be an imprint of Sony Music Entertainment and not a branch of Sony Music Nashville.

Shane McAnally

“It’s always an amazing opportunity to work with two people who are as talented and nice as Jason and Shane," Sony Music Entertainment CEO Doug Morris said. "We’re proud to be their partners under the iconic Monument name. Jason is a highly respected label and management executive who has played an important role in the careers of some of Nashville’s biggest stars and most exciting newcomers, and Shane is an incredibly accomplished songwriter and fantastic talent developer. We think they’re a great team and a terrific addition to the Sony Music family.”

McAnally rose through the local music industry ranks as a songwriter and producer, helping craft the music of artists such as Kacey Musgraves and Sam Hunt. But he's also shown an eye and ear for talent, developing Sony country band Old Dominion and launching his own publishing, production and artist development firm Smack Songs.

Jason Owen

“Co-heading a label with Jason Owen was the easiest decision I’ve ever made,” McAnally said. “The opportunity to work side-by-side with artists and their respective teams, to see a project from start to finish has been a dream of mine for a long time. I am always drawn to projects and artists who are met with the question of, ‘Where does this fit?’ I believe that an artist who doesn’t seem to fit anywhere, actually fits everywhere. Monument will be the place for projects of credibility that need creative and unorthodox ways of getting heard. Walker Hayes and Caitlyn Smith are both impossible to compare to anyone else; they are true originals and originality is what we intend to build Monument on.”

Owen is president and CEO of Sandbox Entertainment, and manager for top country artists Faith Hill, Little Big Town, Dan + Shay and Musgraves. He was a finalist to land the job of chairman and CEO of Sony Music Nashville - a post that ultimately went to Randy Goodman two years ago.

Smith has already earned a reputation as a top young songwriter in Music City. She's penned songs for artists like Meghan Trainor and John Legend, but also country legends Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks. Hayes, who signed to Smack Songs for which he released an EP in 2016, is currently working with McAnally on a new studio album.

Buron had influence in the radio broadcasting industry across the state of Minnesota and many places across the country as well. According to the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting, Buron, a graduate of St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota, began working at KDWB Radio in 1971 in the Twin Cities.

Over the years, he worked his way up until he became the vice president of the station’s parent company, Doubleday Broadcasting of New York in 1977. In that position, he was responsible for operations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver and St. Louis along with the Twin Cities.

About a decade later, Buron made his way up north and bought Omni Broadcasting in 1988, which grew to have 16 stations serving Bemidji and other cities in the region. Kev Jackson, who started working at the radio station a year prior to Buron making the purchase, said the change was noticeable right from the start.

“He was an incredible guy. There was a jolt of energy when he walked into the building. He came in and was full of ideas and it was infectious,” Jackson said. “No one could outwork Lou, he loved radio and strove for greatness in it.”

Buron was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2007. Eight years later, Buron sold his company to Hubbard Broadcasting and retired.

(Reuters) -- Mike Connors, the former college basketball player and B-movie actor who found stardom on television playing the title role in the popular, long-running private eye series "Mannix," died on Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 91.

Connors' death at a hospital from leukemia, which the Hollywood trade publication Variety reported he was diagnosed with a week ago, was confirmed to Reuters by the office of his talent agent, Frank Gilardi.

One of the highest-paid actors on American television at the time, Connors starred on "Mannix" for all eight seasons of its run on the CBS network, from 1967 to 1975.

The square-jawed actor played tough-as-nails private detective Joe Mannix and actress Gail Fisher co-starred as an independent investigator and his loyal secretary, Peggy, in a series that attracted a strong following.

The show was heavy on car chases, fistfights and bullets - and light on nuance - as Connors pursued the bad guys, although he later professed to a determination to plumb the emotional depths of his TV alter ego.

"I know that I kept saying I want this character to be as real as possible, to feel the emotions, the ups and the downs, to shed a tear, whatever it took that happens to the average human being," Connors told Fox News Channel in a 2000 interview.

"One of the reasons the show was very popular is because we tried to stay as close to reality as possible."

Connors was nominated for an Emmy four times for his work on "Mannix" and won a Golden Globe award in 1970 as best actor in a dramatic series. "Mannix" was twice nominated for an Emmy as best dramatic series.

Fisher, one of the few black women with a regular role on a U.S. television series at the time, became the first African American actress to win an Emmy.

Mannix

Before landing his role in "Mannix," the actor appeared under the stage name of Touch Connors in some outrageous B movies, such as legendary Hollywood schlockmeister Roger Corman's "Swamp Women" (1956) and the similarly lurid "Voodoo Woman" (1957).

Connors, who was of Armenian descent, was born as Krekor Ohanian on Aug. 15, 1925, in Fresno, California. Tall and athletic, he attended UCLA on a basketball scholarship and was noticed by veteran Hollywood director William Wellman, who steered him into acting.

His first film appearance, using the Touch Connors credit, was in a secondary role in the Joan Crawford thriller "Sudden Fear" (1952). He managed similar supporting roles in movies like "Island in the Sky" (1953), starring John Wayne, and lead roles in lesser films. He changed his name to Mike Connors later in the 1950s.

His roles steadily improved and he secured a starring spot in the short-lived network TV cop series "Tightrope" in 1959 and prominent roles in such films as the war comedy "Situation Hopeless ... But Not Serious" (1965), starring Alec Guinness, before landing "Mannix."

Connors filed suit against CBS and Paramount in 2011, asserting that they failed to pay him millions of dollars in royalties. The case was later settled.

In 1927...With the creation of the "United Independent Broadcasters" network in Chicago by New York talent-agent Arthur Judson. The fledgling network soon needed additional investors though, and the Columbia Phonograph Company, manufacturers of Columbia Records, rescued it in April 1927; as a result, the network was renamed "Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System". Columbia Phonographic went on the air on September 18, 1927, with a presentation by the Howard Barlow Orchestra from flagship station WOR in Newark, New Jersey, and fifteen affiliates.

William S. Paley

Operational costs were steep, particularly the payments to AT&T for use of its land lines, and by the end of 1927, Columbia Phonograph wanted out. In early 1928, Judson sold the network to brothers Isaac and Leon Levy, owners of the network's Philadelphia affiliate WCAU, and their partner Jerome Louchenheim. None of the three was interested in assuming day-to-day management of the network, so they installed wealthy 26-year-old William S. Paley, son of a Philadelphia cigar family and in-law of the Levys, as president. With the record company out of the picture, Paley quickly streamlined the corporate name to "Columbia Broadcasting System".

He believed in the power of radio advertising since his family's "La Palina" cigars had doubled their sales after young William convinced his elders to advertise on radio. By September 1928, Paley bought out the Louchenheim share of CBS and became its majority owner with 51% of the business.

In 1927...KXO 1230 AM went on the air in El Centro, California. (Today the station airs oldies)

In 1931...The NBC Radio Network first broadcast "Clara, Lu ’n’ Em" on its Blue network.

In 1948...the Wire Recording Corporation of America introduced the magnetic tape recorder, the first audio recording system that didn’t involve acetate disks or wire. The “Wireway” machine, complete with a built-in oscillator, sold for $149.50.

In 1957...The "CBS Radio Workshop" debuted. This first broadcast featured Aldous Huxley narrating his classic, “Brave New World”.

In 1989...Scott Shannon leaves WHTZ Z100 NYC

In 1997...WNYC 820 AM / 93.9 FM taken over by “WNYC Foundation”

In 2003...WNEW 102.7 FM dropped talk format in favor of music.

The station tunted for the next couple of months with Contemporary hit radio music, using a limited playlist of approximately 50 songs from artists like Pink, Eminem, Bowling for Soup, and Avril Lavigne, as well as nightly simulcasts of CBS's Late Show with David Letterman.

Sounders during that period teased listeners about how "a new station" would soon be coming to the 102.7 frequency, and it arrived in April, when WNEW became "102.7 Blink" (keeping the WNEW call letters) and adopted an unusual "Entertainment AC" format. The station mixed old and contemporary pop hits with talk shows and entertainment news from sources such as E!; on-air personalities during this period included the morning team of Chris Booker and Lynda Lopez (who were also dating during this time), game show host Todd Newton and afternoons with Tim Virgin and now-MSNBC Anchor Alison Stewart. Other personalities included, Rick Stacy (now with WOCL Orlando), Maze, and reporters Matt Wolfe and Lisa Chase, who provided hourly entertainment updates. The station also used AOL Instant Messenger to take requests, and 24 star Kiefer Sutherland did the station IDs ("It is physically impossible not to Blink", etc.).

However, the station's ratings sank further. The station's pink logo led to the derisive nickname "Barbie Radio", and Booker & Lopez did little more on the air than talk about Jennifer Lopez, Lynda's older sister. After less than six months, the station fired most of the staff and changed its branding to "102.7 Blink FM: Music Women Love" with an (again, unusual) explicit appeal to a female audience. This format also failed to draw audiences. By October, it adopted a more mainstream adult contemporary format and ratings began to go up slightly. That November, the station (like many AC stations) adopted the increasingly popular "all Christmas music, all the time" format, dropping the "Blink" format after less than 11 months for the name "New York's New 102.7 FM".

In 2004...The Federal Communications Commission fined Clear Channel Radio for apparently airing indecent material over several broadcast stations during several days. The Commission proposed the highest fine the law provides resulting in a $27,500 for each of 26 apparent indecency violations for a total of $715,000.

In 2013…Philadelphia television pioneer/radio disc jockey/recording artist (the album Our Gal Sal, on which she was backed by Bill Haley & His Comets)/actress (The Outlaws Is Coming, The In Crowd, Holiday Journey, Mannequin on the Move) Sally Starr, who, in her blonde cowgirl persona, hosted children's TV shows on WFIL-TV (which became WPVI-TV in 1968) from the 1950s until the early 1970s, died at the age of 90.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

The Good Day Philadelphia co-host’s suspension comes after Jerrick blurted out an expletive during a live broadcast this week while discussing White House counselor Kellyanne Conway.

Jerrick’s suspension will reportedly last a week, according to industry news site FTVLive. Representatives at Fox have not yet responded to a request for comment.

According to philly.com, the longtime Fox 29 anchor on Tuesday noted that Conway is “good at bulls-” when discussing the White House advisor’s “alternative facts” comments made Sunday to Chuck Todd on Meet the Press. In that interview, Conway defended White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s assertion that the crowd for President Donald Trump’s inauguration was the “largest audience to ever witness an inauguration.”

After four years, Premiere Networks and Jay Mohr have mutually decided to conclude production and syndication of Jay Mohr Sports, effective immediately.

Jay Mohr stated: “I’ve always loved radio, and having a national platform to share my brand of sports talk and comedy was an incredible experience. I loved interacting with the fans, athletes and sports figures over the past three years, but it’s become difficult to juggle the commitment of a three-hour weekday radio show with a film and TV career, stand-up comedy shows, as well as time with my family. It was a tough decision to leave radio, but I appreciate all the support from the team at FOX Sports Radio and Premiere Networks, as well as the listeners and fans.”

Julie Talbott, President of Premiere Networks, stated: “When we partnered to launch Jay Mohr Sports, we aimed to create something truly different – a fusion of comedy, sports and entertainment – and it was very successful. We’re proud of what we accomplished together and wish Jay the best of luck as he focuses on the next chapter of his entertainment career.”

A new sports talk program will be announced soon for the Monday through Friday, 3-6 p.m. ET timeslot. In the interim, FOX Sports Radio’s Dan Beyer and Jonas Knox will serve as guest hosts.

KYKY 98.1 FM Y98 has signed a multi-year contract extension with Guy Phillips, keeping the popular anchor of St. Louis’ highly rated The Phillips & Company Morning Show in his familiar time slot of weekdays from 5:30 – 10:00 AM.

Since 1979, Phillips has been the cornerstone of morning radio at 98.1 FM in St. Louis, bringing listeners his fun guest interviews and interesting takes on local and national events.

“Guy is an institution in the St. Louis area. He continuously reinvents his show, and makes me laugh every morning on the way to the office. Hundreds of thousands of listeners have the same experience every morning. I’m thrilled he will continue to call Y98 home,” said Marty Linck, Program Director for Y98.

Phillips added, “I’ve been one of the luckiest guys to ever work in this business. I have had steady employment over five decades in St. Louis and I haven’t once failed to laugh, on the air and off, on any of those days. I work with a crew that is not only passionate about their jobs but have compassion for one another. I thank a great radio company in CBS RADIO for their enduring trust and support. Most importantly, I am filled with gratitude for my listeners and this community at large who, through it all, continue to support my buffoonery.”

The Phillips & Company Morning Show on Y98 is comprised of Phillips, Courtney Landrum, Jen Myers, Kevin “the Intern,” and Lance Hildebrand.

KYKY 98.1 FM (90 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

In 2006, Phillips was among an elite class elected to the St. Louis Radio Hall of Fame, all of whom were nominated by the Hall’s board of directors and voted on by local media.

Phillips remains one of the most sought-after event emcees in the area. He lends himself to many charitable organizations and donates hundreds of hours of service in the metro area. St. Patrick’s Center, Central Institute for the Deaf, and Ronald McDonald House Children’s Charities are just a few of the many charitable organizations he supports. Phillips is also a board member of the Derrik S. Sabada Memorial Scholarship Fund, the St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer, Friends of Kids with Cancer, and Cinema St. Louis.

Phillips’ commitment to the industry goes well beyond the boundaries of St. Louis. Within the past two years, he has established a scholarship at his alma mater, New Mexico State University, for students pursuing excellence in a broad range of media, including radio, with the “Guy Phillips Media Endowed Scholarship Fund.” Phillips’ wish is to provide the university financial assistance in perpetuity for need-based students to follow their dreams.

Republicans are eager to turn the page at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) after eight years of policies under President Obama that they say have stifled innovation and burdened the tech sector, reports The Hill.

President Trump’s appointment of Ajit Pai as FCC chairman has raised hopes that many of the rules and regulations enacted under Obama — including the controversial net neutrality rules — will soon be on the chopping block.

Pai fought against the enactment of former Chairman Tom Wheeler’s signature Open Internet Order, which codified net neutrality, the idea that all internet traffic should be treated equally.

Republicans like Pai denounced the FCC order for reclassifying internet service providers as utilities. The move subjected internet providers to heavier regulation, with the FCC effectively taking over regulatory jurisdiction on issues like privacy from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who tried to roll back the net neutrality order through legislation, said Republicans are deliberating how to tackle net neutrality now that the party is in charge of both the executive and legislative branches.

“I think getting some certainty on the net neutrality issue is something that industry would like for us to do,” Blackburn said in an interview with The Hill. “Everyone would like to see some certainty there, and everyone would like to see the FCC back in their correct lanes. FTC should have jurisdiction for privacy.”

Rolling back the rules could involve more than just an FCC action, especially since any regulatory moves could be undone by the next administration.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) — chairmen of the Senate and House Commerce committees, respectively — have both said that they are open to a legislative compromise with Democrats that would preserve the underlying principles of net neutrality while getting rid of the reclassification provisions.

CBS, the network home for many of Mary Tyler Moore's projects, including "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," will air a tribute to the actress Thursday night. "Mary Tyler Moore: Love Is All Around" will be anchored by "CBS This Morning's" Gayle King and feature interviews with many of Moore's admirers, including Oprah Winfrey. The special will air from 9 to 10 p.m.

The L-A Times reports PBS has also resurfaced the 2015 documentary "Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration," which is streaming now at PBS.com and will air on various affiliates ( check local listings ). The hourlong program features interviews with a variety of television personalities Moore influenced and collaborated with, including Tina Fey, Betty White and Valerie Harper.

For a look at some deeper cuts in Mary Tyler Moore's television history, GetTV will air the 1969 special "Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman" as well as her early career appearance in the 1960 crime drama "Johnny Staccato." Both will air on Monday at 8 p.m.

Then of course there's the option of having your own tribute marathon of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which is streaming now on Hulu as well as being available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon. Stumped for where to begin, other than the beginning? "Chuckles Bites the Dust," of course (Season 6, Episode 7), which is often cited as one of the best examples of television comedy to have ever aired.

Interested consumers can download the Wrapify app – available on the iPhone and Android devices and apply to have their personal vehicle wrapped with local advertising messages. In return, the drivers are paid a monthly fee. The app tracks a vehicle’s mileage and route and combines the data with local traffic patterns to determine the number of impressions made on consumers on a particular day and time. The ability to measure the out-of-home advertising messages is a key component to Wrapify’s exclusive technology.

“Wrapify is proud to provide hard-working Americans with an effortless way to supplement their income through something they’d be doing anyway – driving their personal vehicle,” says James Heller, CEO of Wrapify.

“Partnering with CBS RADIO Washington, D.C. brings Wrapify the ability to roll out large scale sales efforts in the D.C. market while providing our partners with a way to integrate visual impressions into their advertising campaigns.”

Steve Swenson, SVP and Market Manager of CBS RADIO Washington, D.C., added, “This partnership will strengthen our marketing assets in the area by providing our clients with a way to reach more out-ofhome consumers. Our clients will literally own the eyes and ears on the road and we will be able to provide them with detailed analytics on how their messages are being seen – an important component that sets this product apart from similar services.”

Comcast Corp. added 161,000 TV subscribers in 2016, its best performance in a decade, as telcos eased their expansions and online streaming again didn't develop into the quick cable-killer.

Comcast announced the TV subscriber numbers on Thursday morning with its fourth quarter and full-year earnings. The company, confident in its business, also boosted its dividend 15 percent to $1.26 a share and said it would split its stock two-for-one.

Net income for the quarter was $2.3 billion, up 17 percent from a year earlier. The average monthly customer bill climbed 3.8 percent to $150.58.

Comcast’s Universal film unit, which acquired DreamWorks Animation last year, generated $1.83 billion in sales during the period, up 13 percent from a year earlier, driven by the box-office success of the animated feature “Sing.”

Sales in the business services division, which sells phone, web and video services to companies, rose 15 percent to $1.44 billion.

Revenue at the NBCUniversal group, which includes the NBC broadcast network, cable channels such as USA and MSNBC, the Universal film studio and theme parks, grew 13 percent to $8.45 billion. The results were helped partly by the NFL expanding some of its Thursday Night Football broadcasts to include NBC.

Cable network sales gained 4 percent to $2.5 billion.

The cable operator paid $658 million in dividends in the quarter, a 7.2 percent increase from a year earlier, and bought back $1.24 billion in stock.

“NBCUniversal also had a terrific year, fueled by the tremendous success of the Olympics, the opening of new attractions at our theme parks, and strong theatrical performances, particularly in animation. The consistency and strength of our results enables us to announce that we are increasing our dividend by 15% per share, we will split our stock two-for-one, the twelfth split in our company’s history, and we expect to repurchase $5 billion of our stock this year.”

(Reuters) -- AT&T Inc (T.N), the No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier, reported quarterly results that matched analysts' estimates, as it added more smartphone customers in a saturated wireless market, and said it was confident its deal to buy Time Warner Inc (TWX.N) would be approved.

AT&T is banking on the deal to boost its media offerings such as over-the-top services and to gain control of cable channels like HBO and CNN as well as film studio Warner Bros. The company bought DirecTV in 2015 as part of its plans to diversify from its wireless phone business, which has faced stiff competition from smaller rivals T-Mobile U.S. Inc (TMUS.O) and Sprint Corp (S.N).

"AT&T has made some big bets to reposition its portfolio away from the wireless business, but the businesses that they have accumulated isn't growing either," MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett said.

The company said it added 1.1 million smartphones to its subscriber base in the fourth quarter.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he opposed the company's proposed acquisition of Time Warner during his election campaign.

Thirteen Democratic senators on Wednesday asked AT&T to explain how its planned $85.4 billion takeover is in the public interest.

"We look forward to bringing Time Warner into the fold and doing some very unique things with media and entertainment and content," Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said on a conference call with analysts. The company expects the deal to close later this year.

He also said a lower corporate tax rate was likely under the new administration and that he was optimistic about the appointment of net neutrality opponent Ajit Pai to head the Federal Communications Commission.

Shares of AT&T were flat after the close of regular trading.

Although margins improved, net income attributable to the company fell to $2.44 billion, or 39 cents per share, in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, from $4.01 billion, or 65 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding a pretax loss of about $1 billion and other items, the company earned 66 cents per share in the latest quarter, in line with the average analyst estimate.

Revenue fell to $41.84 billion, missing the average estimate of $42.04 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Looking ahead to this year, AT&T said it expects consolidated revenue growth in the low-single digits on a percentage basis and adjusted EPS growth in the mid-single digit range. Capital spending is estimated around $22 billion, similar to levels spent in 2016.